Journal #8 - August 2010

Real Date: 22-Aug-10
Game Date: 12/01

With barely time to draw breath after rescuing Baeshra from the gelatinous cube the party are attacked by some extremely smelly rotting corpses which threw lumps of their own corrupted flesh as an attack which caused Tryn's flesh to start rotting as well. Ash manages to Turn them and they back off a distance whilst taking some serious sparkly radiant damage. Balasar and Tryn continue to pummel away at the corrupted corpses as Ash uses his Lance of Faith to shine forth the divine glory of Pelor upon the unclean spirits. Arranis deals the death blow to the final corpse with a might Magic Missile.

[750xp/5]

The next few rooms contain a pair of plain-looking sarcophagi and a chest within which there are three amulets. One of which is rather shiny, in a nicely magical type of way, and the other two have the names of Sir Keegan's children inscribed on them. Also in the chest are some wooden practice swords and a hairbush with a mother of pearl handle.

Treasure
1x Amulet (Safewing +1) = Arranis
2x Children's Amulets (450GP in total)
1x Mother of Pearl Handled Hairbrush

After an extended rest to get Baeshra back on his feet and a lengthy review of maps scrawled so far they head off and find a room they hadn't so far investigated. And what a room! Rivers of blood and a Priest of Orcus accompanied by skelewags.

Treasure from Priest of Orcus
1x Mace
1x Dagger

[975xp/5]

The blood within this temple flows to the centre and down into a pit. The pit has four chains descending into the darkness, slick with gallons of blood. The only way forward is down so the party attempt to climb down the slippery chains with varying degress of success with Ash, Arranis and Balasar falling into the darkness and landing badly in a pool of blood fifty-plus feet below. Arranis and Balasar are fairly quick to recover themselves, but Ash can't find his footing.Which is particularly bad news as this is the temple to Orcus with Kalarel himself presiding over the ritual to open the rift and bring Orcus and his minions into the world. Kalarel had been waiting for them and opens fire with his diabolical powers. Tryn bravely takes on a wight all by himself while Balasar, Arranis and Baeshra fight Kalarel and his minion skeletons. Ash eventually makes his way out of the pool of blood and joins the fight as the skellybones slowly fall one by one and Tryn single-handedly dispatches the wight. Kalarel is on his own but he is stood in front of the rift itself and black tendrils of nether-worldly nastiness lash out at anyone who passes too close. Kalarel tries to draw the party towards him but they are wise to the trap and continue their long-range hit and run tactics... until, with a cry to the glory of Orcus, Kalarel falls. Before he can hit the ground, though, a black tendril wraps itself around his body and drags him into the rift.

Success! Kalarel and his death cult have been uncovered and maybe even eradicated. To prove to Edric in Waterdeep that the job has been done Ash takes Kalarel's Prayer Book with the intention of showing it to Edric and then destroying it.

[Encounter = 1350xp/5]
[Quest Bonus = 2000xp/5]
[Misc Bonus = 750xp/5]

Aaaaaand rest...

Journal #2 - November 2009

Real Date: 01-Nov-09
Game Date: 03/01

After the previous encounter the party rest for a short time to heal up and then they continue their on their quest. After a few hours Ash's keen hearing alerts him to the rushing of water and the noises of an encampment stirring. Luckily they hadn't heard the arrival of the party so they retreat a short distance to prepare for their attack on the Kobold camp. The party make their plan and attack, but they had been preparing for their arrival with their leader standing inside a stone circle with runes inscribed on the ground. During the fierce battle that ensues Arannis takes down with some superbly timed Magic Missiles a fleeing Kobold that was going for reinforcements, screaming that "Irontooth" must be warned.

Treasure Haul
4GP 17SP

Experience: 115xp each (575 xp total)

Tryn stealthily follows the trail that the fleeing Kobold had tried to take and finds a cave hidden behind the waterfall. He reports back that this is most likely the Kobold lair the party were looking for. They decide to head back to Winterhaven to rest and recuperate overnight. Whilst there they persuade Lord Pardraig to give them a 50% advance on the reward (50GP). They rest for the night with no interruptions.

The next day (04/01) they set off on the road after a hearty breakfast and reach the kobold lair again with being attacked on the road. No surprise really as they had cleared out all the Kobolds on the previous day.

They enter the cave behind the waterfall and the alarm is instantly raised and so begins the hardest battle the party have yet faced... The leader of the Kobolds is a fearsome goblin named Irontooth who is extremely tough and uses a double headed battleaxe. He is ably assisted by a number of tough henchmen and a priest as well as the usual kobold cannon-fodder. The party fight effectively, barely moving from the entrance to the waterfall deciding instead to stand their ground and letting the enemy come to them. This time the battle is almost taken to the wire with Tryn and Arannis both flirting with death in their own ways.

True to form, Irontooth is the last of the bad guys to fall to the spells and weapons of the party and with his dying breath he utters exhortations to Orcus and to Kalarel which gives the party confirmation that the kobolds were working with or for the person that they had originally came looking for - Kalarel, the leader of the death cult.

On Irontooth's body they find a key and a message from Kalarel which talks of a spy in Winterhaven who has been on the lookout and also says that Kalarel is close to opening a rift which will allow the minions of Orcus to come through to do his bidding and feast.

Treasure Haul
420GP
Dwarf sized chain mail (which is probably magical)

Experience: 250xp each (1250xp total)

Journal #1 - October 2009

Real Date: 04-Oct-09
Game Date: 01/01

• Blast - Human(?) Dungeon Master - 666th Level (Mark)
  
  
• Ash - Elven Priest of Pelor - 1st Level (Kopic)
• Arranis - Eladrin War Wizard - 1st Level (Jordan)
• Baeshra - Dargonborn Paladin - 1st Level (Jason)
• Darcorious Shadowing - Dragonborn Warlord - 1st Level (Kieran)
• Tryn - Halfling Rogue - 1st Level (Mike)
  

The party are in the pub in Waterdeep having their weekly adventurer's meeting when an acolyte of the temple of Pelor rushes in to pass a message to Ash. The message is from Edric, Ash's mentor, who then beseeches Ash and his friends to travel to Winterhaven to investigate reports of someone called Kalarel setting up a Death Cult in the area. Edric tells the group that there will be a bonus reward if they bring proof that the cult has been destroyed.

They set off on the road to Winterhaven the following day (02/01) and are attacked by a band of kobolds who show unusual resolve and fight to the death rather than run away when it looks like they are losing.

Treasure Haul
2x Dragonscale Shields
2x Short Swords
1x Sling (+10 sling shot)
5x Spears
5x Javelins
34x Silver

When they reach Winterhaven they start to quiz the locals and try to pick up any rumours. They hear of someone called Dauven Staul who disappeared and never returned. They also meet Valthrun the farmer and Ilian the dwarven smith. Ilian revelas that Dauven Staul had asked about a local burial ground so he asks the party to go and look for him there. Ilian mentions the Raven Queen.

Townsfolk
Delphina Moongem - Market Square
Fair Coalstriker - Smith
Valthrun the Prescient
Lord Pardraig
Bearwin Wildersun
Sister Lenora
Rond Gelfen
Ninaren

Lord Pardraig tells the party he will pay them 100 GP to sort out the kobold menace and gives them a map to their lair.

Naturally, the party are attacked on the road by another band of ferocious kobolds who refuse to surrender or retreat. After a fierce battle to the near death the party triumph over the leader, a priest who was carrying a black dragon figurine which had obsidian underneath and with was engraved outline of a skull with ram's horns. Arranis recognises this as the symbol of Orcus, Lord of The Undead, and it is worth approximately 80 GP.

Treasure Haul
Black Dragon Figurine (80GP)
5 GP
23 SP

Total Party Funds
5 GP
31 SP

Experience: 220 xp each (1100 xp total)